MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Wildfire Prevention
Overview
Sporting a ranger hat and dungarees, Smokey Bear has become more than a symbol for protecting America’s
forests from human-caused wildfires – he’s a piece of Americana. Smokey Bear has been the longest running
public service advertising campaign in history, first appearing in a wildfire prevention poster in 1944. In
partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, the Ad Council and
advertising agency Foote Cone & Belding (now DRAFTFCB) created Smokey Bear to raise awareness about wildfire
prevention. Sixty-seven years later, Smokey Bear remains a highly recognizable and relevant American symbol.
Consistently ranked as one of the Ad Council’s top performers in donated media, and almost universally recognized
by American adults, the Wildfire Prevention campaign featuring Smokey Bear has helped to reduce areas burned
by wildfires from 22 million acres in 1944 to approximately 6.5 million annually today.
For over six decades, Smokey’s message has stayed the same – be responsible when you use fire. But as with
all Ad Council campaigns, the Wildfire Prevention campaign has been continuously refreshed and re-evaluated.
Beginning In 2008, the campaign expanded Smokey’s presence by reintroducing him with a new, modern look
and an integrated communications strategy that incorporated social media to strengthen engagement with the
campaign’s current target audience, young adults 18-34. In the years since, the campaign has continued to
keep his image fresh and has also broadened his reach to school children throughout the nation with multimedia
teaching resources.
Campaign Objective
Renew the importance of wildfire prevention by creating awareness of the causes and consequences of wildfires,
ultimately reducing the number of human-caused wildfires.
Target
• Primary: Adults 25 – 34
• Secondary: Young adults 18 – 24, elementary school-aged children
Key Message: Wildfires are a threat to humans and can damage our natural resources – but you can make a
difference. Only you can prevent wildfires.
Donated Media: over $1 billion since 1980; over $144 million since June 2008
Framing the Issue
When the Wildfire Prevention campaign first launched, the Ad Council, then called the War Advertising Council,
had recently created the now famous “Rosie the Riveter” and “Loose Lips Sink Ships” campaigns and was looking
to expand its ability to change public behavior in times of peace. One of the first non-war campaigns began in
1944 when the Ad Council began a pro bono partnership with advertising agency Foote Cone & Belding (now
DRAFTFCB) to create the Wildfire Prevention public service advertising campaign. The first forest fire prevention
campaign poster featured Walt Disney’s Bambi, but was loaned to the campaign for only one year. It was decided
later that year that the nation’s number one fire prevention symbol should be a bear.
In the early 1940s before Smokey was created, over 22 million acres were burned annually because of human-caused
wildfires. That’s the equivalent of burning nearly the entire state of Indiana each year. This led the USDA Forest
Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council to begin the campaign to raise awareness
about the simple precautions people can take to help protect America’s forests, grasslands, and other areas from fire.
Since the beginning, the campaign has aimed to empower people with the knowledge that they can prevent
wildfires, working to build a sense of personal responsibility for wildfire prevention and to inform the American
public that human carelessness is the primary cause of wildfires.
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Wildfire Prevention Case Study
Evolution of an Icon
Smokey Bear was created on August 9, 1944. His first forest fire prevention poster was illustrated by Albert Staehle.
The poster depicted Smokey pouring a bucket of water on an unattended camp fire with the message, “Smokey says
– Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires.”
In 1947, Smokey’s tagline changed to, “Remember – only you can prevent forest fires.” This iconic tagline has since
become part of the American vernacular and been referenced in countless mediums. In 2001, “forest fires” changed
to “wildfires” to stress that all unwanted, accidental fires in natural areas, including grass and brush fires, should be
prevented.
In 1952, Congress passed the Smokey Bear Act that removed the character from the public domain and placed his
image under control of the USDA Forest Service. That same year, songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote
and released the famous song, “Smokey the Bear.” In order to make the rhythm of the song work, a “the” was added
to his name; however, Smokey Bear’s name has never included “the.”
Also during this time, the production of Smokey Bear dolls and kid-friendly advertisements were developed to appeal
to children so that they could learn their role in wildfire prevention at a young age. In the decades since, Smokey
continues to teach kids how to prevent wildfires. Teachers use Smokey and his message in the classroom, and
Smokey still makes appearances in schools and hands out awards to kids that help him with wildfire prevention.
Smokey’s image and message have been featured in communications that span virtually every medium; from TV,
radio, print, and outdoor advertisements to lesson plans, the internet, social media, and comic books. He even
appeared on a commemorative postage stamp (1984) and has his own zip code.
In the early 2000s, the campaign began to more directly target casual campers, hikers, and mountain bikers – the
very people who are often responsible for wildfires yet think they are not likely to be. The PSAs featured Smokey Bear
less prominently but continued to drive home his message of personal responsibility for wildfire prevention.
Current Campaign
In June 2008, Smokey Bear was reintroduced with a new, modern look aimed at the young adult target audience.
This marked the first time Smokey appeared as a computer-generated image. In the years since, the Ad Council
and Draftfcb have continued to keep his look fresh with every new PSA that is released.
The new PSAs were launched with a fully integrated public relations effort that yielded 9.9 million audience
impressions via 274 television and radio segments and 7 million earned media impressions via free media coverage
on sites like MSN, Yahoo, the LA Times, and the Seattle Times. Featured placements on two Los Angeles Times
blogs, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s website, and a dedicated segment on David Letterman also added to
the campaign’s exposure. Since the launch, the campaign has been featured in high profile news coverage on The
Today Show, in USA Today’s Life section and in hundreds of environmental, entertainment and consumer blogs.
The launch in June 2008 marked Smokey Bear’s first entry into Social Media as well, with the introduction of his
Facebook page. Since then, he has accumulated over 45,000 fans on Facebook. In 2010, Smokey’s growth in
social media expanded to widgets, puzzles and games, an e-card, and profiles on Twitter, Flicker, and YouTube.
In 2011, the Ad Council continues to grow and expand the active online communities through partnerships with
the social media agency, Animax, and Buddy Media, a Facebook management system utilized by top advertisers.
Additional PSAs were launched in 2011, expanding the young adult-targeted effort and reemphasizing Smokey’s
iconic message that “Only you can prevent wildfires.” The PSAs continue to keep an authoritative but friendly
tone, encouraging people to channel their inner Smokey, take care with fire outdoors, and speak up when they
see someone in danger of causing a wildfire.
In addition to the launch of new PSAs, a push to introduce Smokey to young children was made with the
development and distribution of an animated educational video and curriculum kits. Over 10,000 teaching kits,
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Wildfire Prevention Case Study
which included a teacher’s guide, activity book and DVD, were distributed to schools across the nation to teach
children the basics of camping safety and wildfire prevention. The teaching materials were also made available for
download on SmokeyBear.com.
Evaluating Impact
Exposure
The Wildfire Prevention campaign consistently receives strong donated support from the media. From 2009
to 2010, the campaign ranked among the Ad Council’s top five campaigns in donated media value.
Since the launch of the current campaign in June 2008 through Q1 2011, the estimated donated media has
been valued at more than $144 million.
Estimated Donated Media June 2008– March 2011
Medium
Donated Media ($)
Radio
56,823,600
Television
24,216,200
Outdoor & Transit
24,058,900
Interactive Media
14,915,200
Print
8,525,300
Alternative Media
2,556,400
Public Relations (Earned Media)
13,745,000
TOTAL
$144,840,500
Awareness
Ongoing outreach and support has turned Smokey Bear into one of the most recognized icons in advertising
history. According to an Ad Council tracking survey of U.S. adults, approximately 98% recognized Smokey Bear;
92% identified Smokey Bear on an unaided basis; and 3 out of 4 adults are able to recall Smokey’s message
of “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” or a similar reiteration without prompting. In the same survey, more than
one-third of adults (37%) recognized the most recent campaign advertising, and the proportion was higher for
the core target of 18-34 year olds (41%).
Engagement
Smokey Bear’s Facebook page is one of the most active Ad Council communities on Facebook. With more than
45,000 “likes” (and growing), Smokey’s community responds enthusiastically to his posts, at times with several
hundred comments and “likes.” Over 500 fan photos have been submitted and posted on the page (everything
from Smokey snowmen to carved pumpkins) and outreach to influencers has also helped grow the community.
Smokey is continually inspiring a dialogue about the importance of wildfire prevention and the audience responds
and shares their personal commitment to Smokey’s mission.
The Wildfire Prevention campaign directs people to visit SmokeyBear.com to learn how they can help prevent
wildfires. The site includes essential safety information about campfires, debris burning, equipment maintenance,
and homes in wildfire prone areas. Additional content includes historical campaign information, educational
resources, and a section for kids to learn about the issue and engage with Smokey Bear. Since the current
campaign launched in June 2008, there have been more than 6.5 million visits to SmokeyBear.com. On average,
more than 175,000 visits occur at the site each month.
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Wildfire Prevention Case Study
Impact
While not necessarily wholly attributable to the PSA campaign efforts, since the Wildfire Prevention campaign
began in 1944, the total number of acres burned annually by wildfires has dropped significantly, from 22 million
acres to an average of 6.5 million annually today. Further progress has occurred during the most recent campaign
time period. From 2008 to 2010, the number of human-caused wildfires decreased by approximately eight percent
(8%). Acres burned from human-caused wildfires decreased by about 62% during the same time period.
Conclusion
Smokey Bear is an American icon whose message has stood the test of time as the longest running public service
advertising campaign in the United States. With over $144 million dollars worth of donated advertising space
since the launch of the new campaign in June 2008, the Wildfire Prevention campaign continues to garner an
impressive amount of media support. Smokey’s message remains as relevant as it was in 1944. As long as human
carelessness threatens our nation’s forests and wildlands, Smokey Bear will continue to remind us that “Only you
can prevent wildfires.”
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